You have 2 choices either the clutch is not disengageing properly or the gearbox is shot.put the car in first,put the clutch pedal down, then start the car and if its trying to pull away before you take you foot of the clutch you have you answer....if its the clutch cable you can adjust it..

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The transmission has synchronisers to help line up the gears when you shift from one gear to another. If this transmission has been treated rough or rawhided and speed shifted, these synchroniser clips become bent and turn up and won't allow the synchroniser to slid over them into place and hold the transmission in gear. Eventually you will have to replace them. You will notice if you take it easy when shifting, it will get easier. Don't get in a hurry and jam the shifter or it will just get worse and they will have to be replaced. I hope you better understand how your shifter work. I hope you can buy some time before you have to put a fair amount of money it to it.
Good Luck.

The "grinding" sound leads me to believe that your clutch is not completely disengaging. Does it also do it in Reverse? First gear and reverse gear is not syncronized. Sometimes it helps to go to reverse, then bring it back to first to keep from having to force the thing into gear. Forcing it will bend the shifting fork inside the transmission. If it has been forced a few times, you may allready have a bent fork. Anyway, if it is also "grinding" going into Reverse, it is time for a clutch.

sounds like the shift cables are corroded or seized, forcing the shift may have bent the linkage. inspect and replace the shift cables and inspect the cable bracket, bend back into shape if required :)

check see if these helps if its not shifting automatic right?tap the brake a few times maybe like 10 or more pay atention if you hear a little thump it means its unlocked those cars have a small piece that goes bad if you dont get it replaced is gonna do the same thing better to get it changed its actually cheap

The possiblities that come to mind are
1 Bad synchro in transmission
2 bad bearing(s) in transmission input shaft.
3 Bent shift linkage or shift fork (I doubt this, but it's possible)
Only number 3 is relatively cheap. I'd go back to where/who you bought the car from, if it was that way when you bought it, and ask them to help. It can't hurt.

Using force is NOT the solution. If the syncros are bad, until you get them replaced, you'll be better off to determine the RPM difference between 2&3 gears (maybe 800-1000?) and also 4&5 gears (maybe 500-800?) and learn to put a modest amount of effort at exactly the time the rpms fall into that diffference.
Example Say the difference between 2nd gear at 3500 RPM and 3rd gear is 1000 RPM, then when you take it out of 2nd for an upshift to third, delay until the RPMs are just getting to 2500. If you are on a budget and can't fix the transmission (it's going to be big bucks) you may find you can get pretty good at this. It is possibly to shift a car this way without even using the clutch, although I don't recommend this and it takes a great deal of practice and luck.
While you have this problem, don't downshift into 3rd, just run the RPMs down in 4th (say to 2000 or less) until you can shift into 2nd at an acceptable RPM. The least amount of shifting you can do until you resolve this the better.
Another choice until you can fix it, is to just run up the RPMs in 2nd and then shift to 4th, and then forget you have a fifth gear. This is much better than forcing, it's possible to do more damage by forcing.
Is it hard to get into 3rd from 4th AND 2nd?
..ajm

Try shifting the trans manually through the gears and see what happens,doesnt cost anything so,possibility valves are sticking in the valvebody after sitting so long,and manually shifting the car will force some of them to stroke in their bores unless REALLY stuck.Could also be shift solenoids.Scan for diagnostic trouble codes.A bad solenoid will have set a trouble code.Just FYI,1991 was the first year Ford went to all electronic trans,i had a 91 Sable.

STOP Downshifting!
STOP Forcing gear change, watch the Engine RPMs and shift accordingly, HOMBRE's are as good as the operator's. Hombre's have dash shift indicators which illuminate when it's time to 'shift' and not before, This has nothing to do with gear oil either. If you've drained it, you best fill it immediately and make sure it's ample level. The heat these gears sustain in is inceredible, cooling lubricant is essential. Here's a tip, while engine is OFF, ignition key is engaged, dash is illuminated, depress clutch peddle, keep it depressed and walk through all gears with gear shift, shifting should be smooth and unpeded, including reverse. If resistance is experienced at one or more gears, gear alignment is off as a result of inproper gear shifting while driving. Continue to drive vehicle just shift slower until clutch needs replacement then do an entire drive shaft upgrade. It worth it, it's great truck.